THURSDAY: Capps is headed to see famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Monday, he told reporters including Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). While that link hardly means that Tommy John surgery is inevitable, it does suggest that there’s significant concern with his elbow, and even a non-surgical option would likely involve a reasonably lengthy rest and rehab period. The club is still “weighing options,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro adds on Twitter.
Capps tells Spencer that he is “in the wait-and-see stage still” with regard to his elbow. Though he’s obviously hoping to avoid surgery, he added that “peace of mind would be nice” given the uncertainty he’s currently experiencing. He indicated that his MRI showed “some stuff there,” though it’s unclear when the issues cropped up. Andrews examined Capps back in 2014, advising against a procedure at the time, and the hope is that his experience (with Capps and many others) will help reach a conclusive decision.
“On the mound, stuff comes out really good,” Capps said. “It’s just really painful right at the end (of the delivery) right now. It just kind of crept up, like tightness, and then it started progressing something more. I never felt it pop or anything.”
TUESDAY: Marlins righty Carter Capps, who is expected to play a key role at the back of the bullpen, is headed for an MRI after experiencing elbow soreness, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Per the report, Miami has begun making making trade inquiries for relief help.
While it isn’t yet clear whether Capps has received a diagnosis, let alone what it might be, it appears as if the club could be preparing for the worst. Whatever the results, Capps will seek a second medical opinion, per the report.
The 25-year-old already missed significant time down the stretch in 2015 due to a sprained right elbow. Based in part on that history, as well as his propensity for throwing hard, Capps rated as the 10th most likely pitcher in all of baseball to require Tommy John surgery in the recently-compiled research of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum.
That was an unfortunate way for Capps to end what was otherwise a breakout campaign. Over his 31 frames on the year, he compiled a sparkling 1.16 ERA. He backed that up with exceptional peripherals, including 16.8 K/9 against just 2.0 BB/9, that suggested he was at least as good as his results. (Indeed, his league-leading 0.87 SIERA indicated he might well have been even better.)
Spencer notes that Capps had been expected to challenge A.J. Ramos for the Marlins’ closer role, based in part on a desire to give him a more limited and predictable workload. Losing him for any significant stretch would represent a significant loss for a club that has hopes of turning things around after a disappointing season last year. There are other right-handed power arms on hand in the persons of Bryan Morris and Kyle Barraclough, but neither showed anything close to Capps’ overall form in 2015 and moving them up the pecking order would open more questions in the middle relief corps.
Hope it’s not serious. Even as a Rangers fan, I’d look for his highlights on MLB.com and watch him pitch. He’s fun to watch, especially for a reliever.
Would be unfortunate if he needed TJ, but maybe during his rehab he can learn to throw a pitch without a totally illegal windup.
It is a big part of his effectiveness he has an 8 foot extension toward the plate, the average is something like 6 feet his perceived velocity is something like 2-3 MPH faster. He is one of the most fascinating pitchers as far as Stat Cast goes.
Yeah, he’s interesting, because he’s not on the rubber at release point, therefore he doesn’t have to throw 60 feet 6 inches like everyone else. How MLB has let him slide is one of the most baffling things they have ever done.
He’s not on the rubber, its an illegal pitch. Easiest rule there is.
This, is a ball. Or at least should be:
twitter.com/PeteBlackburn/status/61859330737615258…
It isn’t that black and white his delivery does start on the Rubber if you are going to contest he is beginning a new delivery in the dirt that is just not happening. Walden does the same thing. It is a natural motion within his delivery making it legal.
bet you’re fun at parties…
I’m all for no rules baseball, dont get me wrong, but like, why is this the one MLB is letting slide?
What’s stopping him from letting that “natural motion” allow him to hop skip and jump to like, 10 feet away? He feasibly could extend it to ridiculous proportions but instead if just doing what he can get away with. Still not playing by the same rules everyone else is (Walden’s is not on the same level as Capps).
But also, if both Walden and Capps keep getting hurt, they really should learn to pitch like everyone else. There’s a reason why keeping one leg on the ground allows a pitcher to pitch effectively.
Talk to Texas. They have options
If his wind up and delivery was illegal they wouldn’t allow it!
Purely speculative at this point, but the recent article here Predicting Tommy John candidates, listed Capps as #10 most likely candidate by the research.
Whoa didn’t notice that, thanks. Going to add mention to the post.
A week or two ago everybody was ripping the Orioles for putting players through extensive medical exams to catch things before they sign off on millions of dollars in contracts. On the flip side, how is anybody not ripping the Marlins for signing a guy with a history of elbow troubles without taking a look at his arm before signing the deal? Capps has been on the DL multiple times in his career for arm troubles. How does nobody in the Marlin organization think to take a picture to see how things look in there before they cut a check?
The Marlins never signed him. He was acquired from the Mariners for Logan Morrison.
What are you talking about? They traded for Capps two years ago, and he is making around 800K in arbitration this year. I agree that ripping Baltimore for thoroughness is ridiculous, but so is ripping Miami for employing a top reliever for less than a million dollars
A pitcher’s post or back foot is not in contact with the rubber at time ball releases from hand. MLB made rulings about Capps and Walden’s (and a few others) deliveries as they were developing in the minors. I personally don’t agree with the decision. Jumping during the delivery to gain inches towards the plate is not what the original rule had in mind. This puts a tremendous amount of stress on both the should and elbow. In my humble opinion, if these guys weren’t big and strong, or if they were starters, they would have been injured long ago. Would hate to see young pitchers try to copy these deliveries. Might look cool, but it isn’t.
Throwing 100 MPH no matter how you do it puts stress on the arm blaming it purely on his delivery is completely asinine and I’d like to know what studies you’ve done to come to that conclusion.
Just 30 years of playing/coaching professionally is all I have to offer as reference to you asking for “studies”. With poor mechanics the risk of injury to a player dramatically increases regardless of how hard you throw. There are kids that throw in the 70’s that will have arm surgery this year. Some of those injuries could have been prevented with better mechanics. Throwing a baseball is an unnatural motion in itself. This style of pitching where your weight transfer is flying forward because of the “jump” off the mound puts even more stress on the arm. No throwing program can guarantee health, but you can improve your chances by following certain guidelines and improving ones mechanics.
A kid throwing 70 MPH when the UCL is not fully developed is not the same as an adult throwing 70 MPH. Perfect mechanics throwing 100 MPH you can still be injured, you of course offer no evidence to support your claims because you have none.
What evidence do you have to support your claims that a pitcher’s delivery has nothing to do with his injury history?
Indians should inquire the Marlins in a Shaw/C.Anderson for Ozuna deal. Indians need a CF obviously & the Marlins could still aquire A. Jackson in free agency.
I’m higher on Cody Anderson than most, but I find it hard to believe that Miami would give up Ozuna for him and Shaw. They are going for it this year and don’t seem to have an adequate replacement in center for Ozuna, and he’s only 23. Unless they’re really concerned about his attitude, they probably won’t do that
Doesn’t get you Ozuna. Anderson’s a minor leaguer and Shaw is a nice middle reliever. If the Marlins are going to give up Ozuna, you gotta come with a real back-of-the-bullpen flame thrower.
youtu.be/1ytCEuuW2_A
Almost NEVER is seeing Dr. Andrews good news…